Allowing Android to install third-party appsīefore trying to install applications on your mobile device, you need to know that, by default, the Android OS won’t let you do it. All you need is an Android device and the willingness to install apps.
There are lots of reasons why you might want to use an APK instead of the regular Google Play store, but in this article we’ll focus on how to install them. For example, you can’t delete the launcher or the dialer app, but they also come in the form of APK files and can be upgraded. It’s important to know that any application that you have on your phone or tablet is stored as an APK file, even the ones that are part of the operating system. If anything, installing apps from the APK files can be done with ease and takes only a few steps. Some users might think that installing applications on their own and not through the Google Play Store is a complicated process, but that’s actually not true. Anyone can do it, and the entire process is very straightforward and painless.
Can be useful for debugging apps.Īdb shell - Gives you an interactive Linux command-line shell on your device.Īdb shell command - Runs the specified shell command on your device.įor a full guide to ADB, consult the Android Debug Bridge page on Google’s Android Developers site.The ability to install applications without the help of the official Google Play Store is one of the many strengths of the Android OS. For example, the command here pushes the file located at C:file on your computer to /sdcard/file on your deviceĪdb pull /sdcard/file C:file - Pulls a file from your device to your computer - works like adb push, but in reverse.Īdb logcat - View your Android device’s log. For example, you’d use the name to uninstall the Angry Birds app.Īdb push C:file /sdcard/file - Pushes a file from your computer to your device. In addition to the variety of tricks that require ADB, ADB offers some useful commands:Īdb install C:package.apk - Installs the package located at C:package.apk on your computer on your device.Īdb uninstall package.name - Uninstalls the package with package.name from your device. RELATED: How to Edit Your System PATH for Easy Command Line Access in Windows Useful ADB Commands The process is a bit different on Windows 11, 10, and 7, so check out our full guide to editing your System PATH for the steps required to do this. However, if you add it to your Windows System PATH, that won’t be necessary–you can just type adb from the Command Prompt to run commands whenever you want, no matter what folder you’re in. If all went well, you should see your device in the list, and you are ready to start using ADB! Step Four (Optional): Add ADB to Your System PATHĪs it stands, you have to navigate to ADB’s folder and open a Command Prompt there whenever you want to use it. Once you’ve installed your device’s drivers, plug in your phone and try the adb devices command again: adb devices
Use the Browse my computer for driver software option.įind the drivers you downloaded for your device. On the Driver tab, click “Update Driver.” You may see a yellow exclamation mark next to the device if its driver isn’t installed properly. Open the Device Manager (click Start, type “Device Manager”, and press Enter), locate your device, right-click it, and select Properties. If you download the drivers manually, you may have to force Windows to find them on your device. If that doesn’t happen, you can usually find the drivers for your device from the XDA Developers forums.
In the vast majority of cases, your PC will automatically detect your phone and set it up with the appropriate drivers. If your device is connected but nothing appears in the list, you’ll need to install the appropriate drivers. To test whether ADB is working properly, connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable and run the following command: adb devices Replace the file destination with your own: You can do this by entering the command below. Open the Command Prompt and change the directory to where you unzipped the file earlier. Step Three: Test ADB and Install Your Phone’s Drivers (if Needed) Check the “Always allow from this computer” box and tap OK. Later on, when you connect your phone to your computer, you’ll see a popup entitled “Allow USB Debugging?” on your phone. Head back to the main Settings page, and you should see a new option in the “System” section called “Developer Options.” Open that, and enable “USB Debugging.”